Adapter for uncoilers



1953 c. T. LANSTROM ET AL ADAPTER FOR UNCOILERS Filed Dec. 5, 1951 INVENTOR. CARL T. LANST ROM AND JAMES E. LEAVER fnimzmww HIS ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 8, 1953 UNITED STATES?) i ATENT OFFICE ADAPTER FOR UNCOILERS Application December 5, 1951, Serial No. 260,036

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an adapter for metal strip uncoilers.

One example of an uncoiler with which the adapter or" the present invention can he used is shown in Todd Patent r0. 2,588,977. Such uncoilers inciur'. essentially a pair of spaced apart upright housings, a retractable mandrel which normally extends between the housings and can he receive-1i in the central opening of a coil for supporting the latter, drive means for retract ing or extending the anal adjustable side guide plates for posi ing the coil on the manure ihe mandrel is of 111 162 diameter and satisfactorily supports coils of a range of internal diameters. However, when the coil i'its too loosely on the mandrel, we have observed that the coil edges tend to become damaged and. also that the breaker rolls used for tensioning the strip tend and mar its surface.

An object of the present invention is to pro-- vide an adapter which can he installed in pairs on uneoilers of standard construction for supporting coils of different internal diameter than their mandrels are designed to support.

A further object is to provide an adapter which can he supportei on an upright housing of an uncoiler and has coil engaging means of any suitable diameter positioned with the side guide plate of the uncoiler.

in accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, we have provided details of structure, a single form of which is shown in the accompanying clrawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of an on" coiler equipped with adapters which embody features of the present invention; and

Figure 2 a vertical sectional View of one of the adapters on a larger scale.

Figure 1 shows an uncoiler which is similar to that shown in the afor said Todd patent, but simplified by omission of parts not necessary for an understanding of the present invention. The uneoiler comprises a pair of spaced apart housings iii and. 2, a retractable mandrel i3, and a tracliway it at the left for supporting the mandrel when retract-eel. housings have axially aligned openings iii and i5 respectively through which the mandrel extends when in its coil supporting position. The uncoiier comprises means, not shown, for moving the mandrel between its two positions. Each of the two housings carries side guide plates ll of similar construction. These plates are supported on a plurality of rods [8 which extend through openings 59 in the housing. The uncoiler also has drive means for positioning the guide plates. As illustrated these latter drive means include a pair of double acting fluid pressure cylinders 2t, one of which is mounted. on the outside of each housing, rack gears 2! carried on the piston rod of each cylinc'ier 2E1, horizontal shafts 22 which carry pinions meshing with each rack gear, and rack gears 23 carried on one of the rods iii on each anti meshing with suitable pinions on the same shafts 22. It is seen that lowering of either piston rod. and rack gear 2! projects the corresponding guide plate I? toward the center of the uncoiler, while raising these parts does the reverse,

With the mandrel It in its retracted position as illustrated, two adapters 2t constructed in accorcianoe with the present invention can he installed in the uncoiler, on on each housing ii] and 52. These adapters are shown supporting a coil S of strip metal for uncoiiing in the same position as the mandrel otherwise supports the coil.

Figure 2 shows the details of an adapter 2=i. The adapter comprises a sleeve 25 which fits closely within the opening it; or it} of one of the housings, but is movable axially therein, a shaft 25 rotataoiy supported within said sleeve on antifriction bearings 27 and 22%, and a cone shaped head 2% removably mounted on the forward end of said shaft. An annular plate til is fixed to the forward end of sleeve 25, as by bolts 3!, for mounting the adapter on a side guide plate ll of the uncoiler, as with bolts The means for attaching the head to the shaft includes a key 33 and a retainer piate bolted. to the end of the shaft. The rear end of shaft carries a brake drum 35 removably fixed thereto by a similar key 3t and. retainer plate The rear end of sleeve 25 carries a brake 558' which is removably fixed thereto as by boits 39 and surrounds drum 3%. An air tube is mounted on the interior of flange 3% and. is cooperable with drum 35 for retarding rotation of the shaft 26 and head 29.

Before installation of the adapters, the mandrel it is retracted to the position shown in Figure 1 and the heads brake drums and brake flanges 38 of both adapters are removed. One adapter is inserted through each of the openings to and it of the two housings it and i2. Bolts 32 are inserted in the appropriate openings for attaching the plates st to the side guide plates 61, after which the heads, brake drum and brake flanges are replaced.

The adapters now can be moved axially by use of the drive mechanism which positions the side guide plates H. The cone shaped heads '29 are axially aligned and can be used for supporting a coil S for uncoiling in a similar fashion to the mandrel i3. The heads can be of any desired diameter, whereby the adapters enable the uncoiler to be used for coils of various internal diameters other than that which can be efficiently handled with the mandrel. The only structural change in a standard uncoiler to enable the adapters to be installed is the drilling and tapping of holes in the side guide plates for receiving bolts 32.

While we have shown and described only a single embodiment of the invention, it is apparent that modifications may arise. Therefore, we do not wish to be limited to the disclosure set forth but only by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. The combination with an uncoiler housing, which has a mandrel opening and carries a side guide plate, of an adapter comprising a sleeve received in said. mandrel opening, a plate carried by the forward end of said sleeve and attached to said guide plate, a shaft rotatably mounted in said sleeve, a coil supporting head carried on the forward end of said shaft, and cooperable brake means carried on the rearward ends of said shaft and said sleeve.

2. The combination with an uncoiler housing, which has a mandrel opening and carries a side guide plate and drive means for positioning said guide plate, of an adapter comprising a sleeve received in said opening for axial movement, a plate carried by the forward end of said sleeve and removably attached to said guide plate, a shaft rotatably mounted in said sleeve, a cone shaped coil supporting head removably fixed to the forward end of said shaft, a brake drum removably fixed to the rearward end of said shaft, a brake flange removably fixed to the rearward end of said sleeve and surrounding said brake drum, and an air tube on the inside of said brake flange cooperahle with said brake drum for retarding rotation of said shaft and said head.

3. The combination with a metal strip uncoiler which includes a pair of spaced apart housings having axially aligned mandrel receiving openings, a pair of side guide plates one of which is movably supported on each of said housings, and drive means for positioning said guide plates, of a pair of adapters received in said openings and attached to said guide plates to be positioned by said drive means and comprising axially aligned coil supporting heads situated between said housings and brake means situated outside said housmgs.

4, The combination with a metal strip uncoiler which includes a pair of spaced apart housings having axially aligned mandrel receiving openings, a pair of side guide plates one of which is movably supported on each of said housings, and drive means for positioning said guide plates, of a pair of adapters each of which is received in one of said openings and is removably attached to one of said guide plates to be positioned by said drive means and comprising axially aligned cone shaped rotatable coil supporting heads situated between said housings and brake means for retarding rotation of said heads situated outside said housings.

CARL T. LANSTRGM. JAMES E. LEAVER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,859,301 Lamatsch M May 24, 1932 2,3493% Fawick May 23, 1944 2,353,651 Colson July 18, 1944 2,363,112 Bennett Nov. 21, 1944 2,391,265 Palmer Dec. 18, 1945 2,635,851 Maier Apr. 21, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 549,842 Germany May 2, 1932 536,884 Great Britain May 30, 1941 

